Statement of Bob Perciasepe

President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

December 6, 2018

On EPA’s announced changes to regulations for coal-fire plants:

“This proposed rollback will not change the fundamentals – coal plants will continue to close, and new ones are unlikely to be built because there are cleaner, more affordable alternatives. Power companies are instead investing in natural gas, renewables, and other low-carbon options including carbon capture and advanced nuclear.

“Rather than feeding false hope about the revival of a declining industry, we should be working toward solutions that benefit both our environment and our economy and helping communities that once depended on coal build a new economic future. We can’t ask these communities to bear the brunt of an energy transition that benefits us all. As French President Macron is discovering, we also must be careful not to let the costs of protecting the climate fall disproportionately on the poor. Climate solutions can be durable only if they are just.”

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About C2ES: The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to forge practical solutions to climate change. Our mission is to advance strong policy and action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote clean energy, and strengthen resilience to climate impacts. Learn more at www.c2es.org.